Your Baby – July 2019

YB BABY FILES: TODDLER

Images: Gallo Images/Getty Images

76 | JULY & AUGUST 2019

EVERYTHING TEACHER SAYS is true:
from your nose that will grow if you tell
a lie to stories that will go missing from
books if there’s too much noise during
reading hour.
But when Mom and Dad are at work,
Teacher helps not only with painting
and reading but also with eating.
Parents packing lunchboxes
themselves have a bit of control over
what their children eat, but many
nursery schools offer meals. If your child
is at school for the best part of the day,
what she’s fed there could determine her
health. Make sure you know what your
child is eating at school.

TEAMWORK
As a parent, you have the greatest
influence on your child’s eating habits.
But if your child gets all meals at

school – save for dinner – for five days

of the week, school almost becomes an

extension of home. What your child

learns at school will have a big effect

on her life. And it’s the same with food;

what she eats at school will greatly

influence her dietary habits and health.

So, it’s not going to help you trying your

best to teach your child healthy eating

habits and the school does not do it.

Parents, teachers and the people

making and dishing up food all need to

work together as a team and teach our

children that healthy food is good. The

end result will be a bright spark and

a child with a healthy body.

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?

Before a centre for early childhood

development is allowed to open

its doors, an environmental officer

will come and do an inspection to

check if the premises, as well as the

kitchen, meet certain health and safety

requirements. If they are satisfied,

a health certificate will be issued.

Then, the place is visited at least

once a year to ensure that it continues

to meet requirements.

The department of social development

provides prospective nursery-school

owners with a bulky document with

The minimum standard

@ school for fewer than 5 hours: snack

@ school for 5 to 8 hours: two snacks and a meal

@ school for more than 8 hours: 2 meals and

2 snacks

These meals and snacks need to be provided by the

parents or the school.

Can you trust that your child is getting healthy food at nursery school? Here’s everything

you should know about school food, writes Zelda Ackerman, a registered dietician

The pre-school plate

UNDER INVESTIGATION